Two Chicago police officers struck and killed by a commuter train Monday night may have never heard it coming, according to experts and body cam video recovered at the scene.

Around 6 p.m. Monday, 5th District Officers Eduardo Marmolejo, 36, and Conrad Gary, 31, chased a shooting suspect onto train tracks on the Far South Side, and were subsequently hit by a passing NICTD-Indiana South Shore train near 103rd Street and Cottage Grove Avenue.

A limited amount of body cam video recovered at the scene allowed investigators to shed some light on what went wrong. Marmolejo and Gary responded to the area after Shotspotter technology detected the sound of gunfire. After arriving on the scene, they followed a suspect up an embankment and onto an elevated section of southbound Metra tracks.

According to police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi, the video indicates the officers “clearly acknowledge” a northbound train headed in their direction while standing on the southbound tracks. However, they were apparently unaware of a southbound train bearing down on them from the opposite direction, moving at speeds in excess of 60 mph.

“They must have thought the sound they heard was the northbound train,” Guglielmi said. “They must have missed the sound of the train right behind them.”

Passing trains are supposed to dim their lights. Apparently one did, and the other did not.

]]>bcnn1wpAttorney for Family of 19-Year-Old Kenneka Jenkins, Who Died in Chicago Hotel Freezer, Says Freezer Could Have Locked Someone Insidehttps://bcnn1wp.wordpress.com/2018/12/19/attorney-for-family-of-19-year-old-kenneka-jenkins-who-died-in-chicago-hotel-freezer-says-freezer-could-have-locked-someone-inside/
Wed, 19 Dec 2018 06:57:36 +0000http://bcnn1wp.wordpress.com/?p=323180Attorney Geoffrey Fieger, right, and Tereasa Martin, left, mother of Kenneka Jenkins show evidence pictures as they talk about lawsuit against the Crowne Plaza hotel at a press conference in Chicago on Tuesday, Dec.18, 2018. Fieger represents the family of Jenkins who was found dead in a walk-in freezer. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune via AP)

The attorney for a woman suing a suburban Chicago hotel over the death of her 19-year-old daughter in a walk-in freezer says someone could have locked the young woman inside.

Attorney Geoffrey Fieger told a news conference Tuesday that a button on the freezer door’s handle allows it to be locked, overriding a mechanism that would let someone inside get out.

The body of Kenneka Jenkins was found Sept. 10, 2017, in the freezer at the Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare Hotel in Rosemont. An autopsy determined the death was accidental from hypothermia.

]]>bcnn1wpAttorney Geoffrey Fieger, right, and Tereasa Martin, left, mother of Kenneka Jenkins show evidence pictures as they talk about lawsuit against the Crowne Plaza hotel at a press conference in Chicago on Tuesday, Dec.18, 2018. Fieger represents the family of Jenkins who was found dead in a walk-in freezer. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune via AP)Family of Black Man Killed by Police in Alabama Mall Say State Takeover of Investigation is Attempt to Protect Officerhttps://bcnn1wp.wordpress.com/2018/12/19/family-of-black-man-killed-by-police-in-alabama-mall-say-state-takeover-of-investigation-is-attempt-to-protect-officer/
Wed, 19 Dec 2018 06:52:36 +0000http://bcnn1wp.wordpress.com/?p=323178April Pipkins and her family’s lawyer, Ben Crump, hold a news conference in Birmingham, Ala., on Monday, Dec. 17, 2018. Pipkins, the mother of a black man who was shot to death by a police officer in an Alabama shopping mall on Thanksgiving, criticized the state’s decision to take over an investigation of the case. Emantic “EJ” Bradford Jr. was fatally wounded after an officer saw him with a gun, authorities said. (AP Photo/Jay Reeves)

Relatives of a black man killed by police in Alabama’s largest shopping mall claimed Monday that a state takeover of the investigation is a bid by authorities to protect the officer.

Holding a photo of her son Emantic “EJ” Bradford Jr., April Pipkins said the move by Attorney General Steve Marshall to assume control of the probe seemed aimed at shielding the officer, who has yet to be named publicly.

The family’s lawyers contend the case should have been left with newly elected Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr, who is black, or given to Lynneice Washington, another black district attorney who handles cases in the western part of the county.

“All the family wants is for justice to be served for my son,” Pipkins said during a news conference. “By taking the case from Mr. Carr, we feel they are trying to protect this officer who killed by son.”

Carr declined comment, but his office reissued a statement from last week saying it was capable of handling the investigation into Bradford’s death at a shopping mall in suburban Hoover on Thanksgiving night.

Marshall said last week that his office was taking over the investigation to guard against any potential conflicts of interest involving local officials.

Joy Patterson, spokeswoman for the attorney general’s office, said Monday that correspondence shows Carr “directly conveyed to Attorney General Marshall the presence of Carr’s perceived conflicts in this matter” and that Marshall “acted on standard procedure to assume prosecution.”

“The Attorney General’s Office will ensure that the Hoover mall shooting cases are handled with the highest degree of fairness and professionalism as we pursue justice for all parties,” Patterson said.

Washington said she doesn’t believe Carr should have been removed from the case, and she doubts Marshall would now send the case to her.

The officer who shot Bradford is involved in about 20 cases pending with area prosecutors, officials said. At least one protest leader involved in demonstrations over the shooting publicly supported Carr in his successful bid to become Birmingham’s first black district attorney.

Ben Crump, an attorney representing Bradford’s family, said relatives were “very suspicious” of the grab by Marshall, a Republican appointee who won his first full term in office last month. The officer should be charged with murder if the evidence supports it, he said.

“They feel they’re trying to protect this officer,” Crump said.

Bradford, 21, was shot to death moments after gunfire erupted during a confrontation at the Riverchase Galleria, which was crowded with holiday shoppers. Police initially claimed Bradford was the gunman in that initial confrontation and said an officer shot him. They later said Bradford was not the shooter but an officer heard shots, saw Bradford with a gun and fired at him.

Relatives have said Bradford was licensed to carry a weapon.

A forensic exam commissioned by the family showed that Bradford was shot three times in the rear portion of his body, including once in the back of the head.

A brief portion of videotape reviewed by the family’s legal team supports evidence that indicates Bradford was moving away from the officer when he was shot, Crump said. Authorities have refused to publicly release video or other evidence, citing the continuing investigation.

SOURCE: JAY REEVESAP

]]>bcnn1wpApril Pipkins and her family's lawyer, Ben Crump, hold a news conference in Birmingham, Ala., on Monday, Dec. 17, 2018. Pipkins, the mother of a black man who was shot to death by a police officer in an Alabama shopping mall on Thanksgiving, criticized the state's decision to take over an investigation of the case. Emantic "EJ" Bradford Jr. was fatally wounded after an officer saw him with a gun, authorities said. (AP Photo/Jay Reeves)Trump Softens Stance On Government Shutdown, May Accept Bill That Does Not Include Funding for Wallhttps://bcnn1wp.wordpress.com/2018/12/19/trump-softens-stance-on-government-shutdown-may-accept-bill-that-does-not-include-funding-for-wall/
Wed, 19 Dec 2018 06:47:48 +0000http://bcnn1wp.wordpress.com/?p=323176Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., joined by Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., left, and Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, right, arrives to speak to reporters about the possibility of a partial government shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018. Congress and President Donald Trump continue to bicker over his demand that lawmakers fund a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, pushing the government to the brink of a partial shutdown at midnight Friday. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

President Donald Trump appeared Tuesday to back off his demand for $5 billion to build a border wall, signaling for the first time that he might be open to a deal that would avoid a partial government shutdown.

The White House set the tone when press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders indicated that Trump doesn’t want to shut down the government, though just last week he said he’d be “proud” to do so. The president would consider other options and the administration was looking at ways to find the money elsewhere, Sanders said.

It was a turnaround after days of impasse. Without a resolution, more than 800,000 government workers could be furloughed or sent to work without pay beginning at midnight Friday, disrupting government operations days before Christmas.

One option that has been circulating on Capitol Hill would be to simply approve government funding at existing levels, without a boost for the border, as a stopgap measure to kick the issue into the new Congress next month. The chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., confirmed late Tuesday his office was preparing legislation to keep government funded, likely into February. The White House preference was for a longer-term package, although the conversation remained fluid and Trump has been known to quickly change course, said a person familiar with the negotiations but not authorized to discuss them by name.

“We want to know what can pass,” Sanders said at a press briefing. “Once they make a decision and they put something on the table, we’ll make a determination on whether we’ll move forward.”

She also said the president “has asked every agency to look and see if they have money that can be used.”

The turn of events kick-started negotiations that had been almost nonexistent since last week’s televised meeting at the White House, when Trump neither accepted nor rejected the Democrats’ offer. They had proposed keeping funding at current levels of $1.3 billion for border security fencing and other improvements, but not for the wall.

The Senate’s top Republican and Democratic leaders began negotiating new proposals and talks were expected to continue.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he was confident there would not be a government shutdown. McConnell said a stopgap measure could be approved, though he suggested that House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who is poised to become House speaker when the Democrats take control Jan. 3, would not want to saddle the new year with a budget brawl.

“If I were in her shoes, I would rather not be dealing with this year’s business next year,” McConnell said.

Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have made it clear they are not interested in funding Trump’s border wall.

During a meeting earlier Tuesday on Capitol Hill, McConnell had proposed $1.6 billion for border fencing, as outlined in a bipartisan Senate bill, plus an additional $1 billion that Trump could use on the border, according to a senior Democratic aide unauthorized to speak about the private meeting.

“We cannot accept the offer they made of a billion-dollar slush fund for the president to implement his very wrong immigration policies,” Pelosi told reporters. “So that won’t happen.”

Democrats also rejected the administration’s idea of shifting money from other accounts to pay for Trump’s wall. Schumer said there will be no wall money, “plain and simple.”

Pelosi will probably be able to quickly approve a longer-term measure to keep government running in the new year. She called it a “good sign” that the White House appeared to be backing off its demands.

The White House showed its willingness to budge as it became apparent the president does not have support in Congress for funding the wall at the $5 billion level. Sanders said Tuesday there are “other ways” to secure the funding.

“At the end of the day, we don’t want to shut down the government,” Sanders said on Fox News Channel. “We want to shut down the border from illegal immigration.”

Sanders pointed to the Senate’s bipartisan appropriation measure for the Department of Homeland Security, which provides $26 billion, including $1.6 billion for fencing and other barriers. It was approved by the committee in summer on a bipartisan vote.

“That’s something that we would be able to support,” she said, as long as it’s coupled with other funding.

But House Democrats largely reject the Senate’s bill because it includes 65 miles of additional fencing along the Rio Grande Valley in Texas.

Trump had campaigned on the promise that Mexico would pay for the wall. Mexico has refused.

It’s unclear how many House Republicans, with just a few weeks left in the majority before relinquishing power to House Democrats, will even show up midweek for possible votes. Many Republicans say it’s up to Trump and Democrats to cut a deal.

The standoff dispute could affect nine of 15 Cabinet-level departments and dozens of agencies, including the departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, Interior, Agriculture, State and Justice, as well as national parks and forests.

Shelby expected the stopgap measure, which would cover the seven appropriation bills for those departments, would pass. “Who would want to shut the government down?” he said.

Congress did pass legislation to fund much of the government through the fiscal year, until Oct. 1. But a partial shutdown would occur at midnight Friday on the remaining one-fourth of the government.

About half the workers would be forced to continue working without immediate pay. Others would be sent home. Congress often approves their pay retroactively, even if they were ordered to stay home.

Many agencies, including the Pentagon and the departments of Veterans Affairs and Health and Human Services, are already funded for the year and will continue to operate as usual. The U.S. Postal Service, busy delivering packages for the holiday season, wouldn’t be affected by any government shutdown because it’s an independent agency.

SOURCE: LISA MASCARO, MATTHEW DALY and CATHERINE LUCEYAP

]]>bcnn1wpSenate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., joined by Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., left, and Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, right, arrives to speak to reporters about the possibility of a partial government shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018. Congress and President Donald Trump continue to bicker over his demand that lawmakers fund a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, pushing the government to the brink of a partial shutdown at midnight Friday. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)Chargers Lead NFL Pro Bowl Roster With 7 Selections; Drew Brees, Patrick Mahomes to Start as QBshttps://bcnn1wp.wordpress.com/2018/12/19/chargers-lead-nfl-pro-bowl-roster-with-7-selections-drew-brees-patrick-mahomes-to-start-as-qbs/
Wed, 19 Dec 2018 06:42:59 +0000http://bcnn1wp.wordpress.com/?p=323174

The Los Angeles Chargers continue to make a push for the AFC West title and the top seed in the playoffs, but they’re already No. 1 in the NFL in another respect.

The Chargers led the NFL in Pro Bowl selections with seven, as the full rosters were revealed Tuesday.

Meanwhile, no Oakland Raiders players were picked, the first such occurrence for the franchise since 2003. The Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers also had no representatives.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady moved into a tie for the most Pro Bowl selections of all time with 14, joining Peyton Manning, Tony Gonzalez, Bruce Matthews and Merlin Olsen for the honor. New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees earned his 12th career selection.

In a country where corporate statements of diversity and inclusion are as common as executive offices occupied by white men, a number of institutions have made damning public assessments of their historical engagement with slavery.

The ways in which these institutions sanctioned slavery and profited from it is no longer a secret. So when the Louisville, Kentucky-based Southern Baptist Theological Seminary made public this week a similar report, many wondered: Why now, and what’s next?

The report said that all of the seminary’s founders owned slaves (more than 50 people were owned), and that the seminary used religious ideology to defend slavery and racial inequality both before and more than 100 years after emancipation.

“There is a sense of historical reckoning taking shape that is far larger than one institution or region of the country,” said R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, in an interview. “There are unavoidable questions being asked and I think we have quite deliberately not told parts of the story. And it’s the details, frankly, that hit with a certain kind of horror.”

Nothing puts the depravity of slavery in one’s face like a list of slaves — which usually include their ages and dollar value — written in cold ink, Mohler said.

The Southern Baptist Convention represents the largest Protestant denomination in the United States and includes the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary along with thousands of churches that do not answer to central leadership. About 5.3 percent of all U.S. adults identify as members of the church, and 85 percent of them are white, according to a 2014 Pew Research Center study. Mohler ranks among the denomination’s most influential and well-known figures.

In the days after the report became public, it was widely lauded for its depth and accuracy but also critiqued by some church members who felt it was unnecessary and by others inside and outside the evangelical world who felt it failed to address how the church should respond to troubling revelations about its past and repent today.

The first type of critique came in many cases from the largely white Americans who sit in pews at Southern Baptist churches, said Paul Harvey, professor of history at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs who researches race and religion. He’s also the grandson of a preacher who led a Southern Baptist Convention church in Sacramento, California.

“They are asking, ‘Why did the seminary waste our time and money on this?’” Harvey said of the church members he’s spoken to as well as the comments he saw on social media.

Those sentiments are not unique to Southern Baptists — white Americans are often reluctant to discuss race and the way that it has shaped inequality in the U.S. Some insist that slavery is no longer relevant, and in the case of the seminary report, some deploy claims of exhaustion or overkill.

But while some white Americans remain in this state of denial, others are ready for something more than a recitation of past wrongs, Harvey said.

“The Southern Baptist Seminary, and by extension the denomination leaders, they did a very good job reckoning with the past, and a not-so-good job reckoning with the present,” said Harvey, who wrote “Freedom’s Coming,” a book about the way race and religion shaped the post-Civil War South.

]]>bcnn1wpThe Rev. R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, speaks to reporters on on Oct. 5, 2015 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Bruce Schreiner / AP file)Relentless Church Supports Pastor John Gray After Controversy for Getting $200,000 Lamborghini for His Wife on Wedding Anniversaryhttps://bcnn1wp.wordpress.com/2018/12/19/relentless-church-supports-pastor-john-gray-after-controversy-for-getting-200000-lamborghini-for-his-wife-on-wedding-anniversary/
Wed, 19 Dec 2018 06:29:19 +0000http://bcnn1wp.wordpress.com/?p=323170Pastor John Gray with his wife and two children speaks Dec. 17, 2018, to the congregation at Relentless Church in Greenville, South Carolina. (Photo: Abe Hardesty, The Greenville (S.C.) News)

After enduring a week he described as “one of the most difficult of our lives,” Relentless Church Pastor John Gray enjoyed strong support from his congregation in South Carolina Sunday. Gray drew flak for splurging on a $200,000 Lamborghini Urus for his wife on their eighth wedding anniversary.

“I think any husband wants to give his wife nice things,” said Relentless member Willie J. Smith, who told The Greenville News that the criticism his pastor is getting is much ado about nothing.

“I’ve never understood this notion that Christians are supposed to be poor, even though God has promised us blessings. Pastor Gray had been blessed financially long before he ever came to Relentless Church, and I think it’s great that his wife doesn’t have to drive a clunker. I think every man here feels that way,” Smith added.

Church member Tonya Bethea told the publication that the controversy gave her more resolve in her faith.

“If a pastor has the ability to bless his wife with a great gift and doesn’t do it, something is wrong,” she said. “Things like this are not common in our area, and maybe that’s why so many have opinions on it, but I’m glad our pastor is blessed and glad he shows his love for his wife.”

Gray cited the book of Ephesians as part of the fuel that drove him to lavish his wife, Aventer, with the expensive gift in a 23-minute monologue broadcast on Facebook Live outside his church last Thursday and made it clear that he would not apologize for blessing his wife with money that he earned.

“Here’s the truth, husbands love your wives like Christ loves the Church. Even giving himself a ransom. That means give everything. Sow everything. Give the best of everything. And that’s where I’m at,” Gray said, quoting from Ephesians 5.

In the monologue on Thursday, Gray, who remains an associate pastor at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, explained that he was still paying for the Lamborghini after making a deposit on it in February. He also reiterated a statement made earlier by his wife that he worked very hard to pay for the Lamborghini. He noted that he saved from a variety of income streams including his second book deal and his Oprah Winfrey Network reality TV show “The Book of John Gray,” which is in its fourth season.

In recent months – and increasingly so, it seems – Trump has called the investigation of Special Counsel Robert Mueller a “witch hunt,” and in the process, he has angered, well, actual witches.

“It conjures up for me the burning of 10,000, mostly women, in England and surrounding areas who were accused as witches – right out of the Inquisition playbook,” said Ann Hardman, a Louisville high priestess in the Fellowship of Isis.

“I am incensed with this term. And I have been ever since he did it the first time. It’s insulting; it should be eliminated from the vocabulary. In some ways it’s like the N-word,” Hardman said.

The president’s frequent use of the term, in fact, is angering witches around the country. A story on the Daily Beast website recently said some witches have cast spells on Trump, while one group tried to hex Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

The spells and hexes don’t seem to have worked yet – unless that explains Trump’s otherworldly skin tone.

Grilled California Avocado Chicken marinates in an amazing honey garlic balsamic sauce and is grilled to perfection! It is topped with a thick slice of mozzarella cheese and avocados, tomatoes and basil. This chicken is INCREDIBLE!!

Meanwhile, in a small bowl add the avocado, tomato, basil and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Heat the grill to medium high heat. Grill the chicken on each side about 6 minutes or until cooked throughout and no longer pink. Top with mozzarella cheese and avocado, tomato basil mixture. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and serve immediately.

How is it that the Bible can be so clear on a particular subject – in this case, the subject of homosexual practice – and yet some Christians are not clear on what the Bible says? And why does it seem that millennials in particular are confused about the Bible and homosexuality?

Here are the main reasons, some positive (meaning, the intent might be good, even if the conclusion is wrong) and some negative (meaning, there are no good reasons for the wrong conclusions).

First, many millennial Christians have friends or family members who identify as gay or lesbian.

These friends and loved ones are nice people, friendly people, decent people, hardworking people, loyal people. They are not sexual predators and they seem perfectly normal in other respects.

Their relationships seem fairly similar to heterosexual relationships, and from what these friends and loved ones say, they were born this way.

How can it be a sin to be gay?

Second, some of these millennials grew up in church environments where gays were demonized.

This only underscores the contrast between what their parents say and what the young people seem to be experiencing. Why, these millennials wonder, should I believe what my parents say when they seemed to be so biased and even bigoted?

Third, many millennials have a heart for justice.

They want to fight against tyranny and oppression. They want everyone to have a level playing field. In particular, they want to stand with people who are treated unfairly, who are rejected, who are stigmatized.

Who has been more stigmatized than gays (and others in the LGBT spectrum)?

Fourth, a significant percentage of millennials come from broken homes, so they’re not that excited about marriage in general and certainly do not see heterosexual marriage as particularly wonderful.

Why shouldn’t gays have a shot at it too? Maybe, some millennials think to themselves, they’ll do better than my parents did.

Over a year after announcing that she would be pursuing a divorce with her husband, Proverbs 31 Ministries President Lysa TerKeurst renewed her vows this holiday season to her husband of over 25 years.

“On an unusually sunny Tuesday in December, we dressed up a bit and whispered healing words, heartfelt promises, and holy vows,” TerKeurst wrote on Instagram last week with a photo of herself and her husband, Art, during the ceremony. “A million prayers. A miracle answer. A marriage restored.”

It was in June 2017 when the popular author and international speaker dropped a bombshell on her supporters and announced that she would be separating from her husband and pursuing a divorce due to his ongoing infidelity and substance abuse.

TerKeurst explained that when she first found out about Art’s affair with a woman he met online, she had decided not to divorce him. But even after fighting the “hardest battle” of her life to save her marriage for the last couple of years, “he has continued to abuse substances, be unfaithful, and refused to be truthful to me and our family.”

“After much prayer and consultation with wise, biblically-minded people, I have decided that Art has abandoned our marriage,” she said, utterly heartbroken.

Shortly after the shocking news, she announced that she was also diagnosed with breast cancer and would need to undergo a double mastectomy.

She is now cancer free and after extensive counseling, fasting and, as she told CP in a recent interview, “keeping the lines of communication open,” the couple have rededicated their hearts back to each other by renewing their vows.

The ceremony took place in North Carolina with their closest family members, all who took to social media with posts hailing the couple as “heroes” for their inspiring story of redemption.

]]>bcnn1wpHere We Go: Gay, Transgender Youth at ‘Significantly Higher Risk’ of Suicidehttps://bcnn1wp.wordpress.com/2018/12/19/here-we-go-gay-transgender-youth-at-significantly-higher-risk-of-suicide/
Wed, 19 Dec 2018 06:18:20 +0000http://bcnn1wp.wordpress.com/?p=323160LGBT youth are at a higher risk of suicide and life-threatening behavior than their heterosexual peers, a new study has found, with transgender teens being the most at risk.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of 2.5 million adolescents published in JAMA Pediatrics concluded that “sexual minority youths” — those identifying as “homosexual,” “bisexual,” “transgender” — “have a significantly higher risk of life-threatening behavior compared with their heterosexual peers.”

To examine the risk of attempted suicide among sexual minority adolescents, differentiating for each sexual minority group, researchers searched electronic databases for articles published through April 30, 2017, with the following search terms: heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, transgender, adolescents, teens, and attempted suicide.

In total, thirty-five studies reported in 22 articles that involved 2,378,987 heterosexual and 113,468 sexual minority adolescents (age range, 12-20 years) were included in the analysis.

Researchers found that overall, transgender youths were the most at risk of committing suicide, followed by bisexual and homosexual teens.

As suicide is the second-leading cause of death among adolescents, according tothe Center for Disease Control, researchers emphasized that “public awareness is important, and a careful evaluation of supportive strategies (eg, support programs, counseling, and destigmatizing efforts) should be part of education and public health planning.”

Dr. Michelle Cretella, executive director of the American College of Pediatricians, told The Christian Post that the study “confirms what no one disputes: Namely, that youth who identify as LGBQT have higher rates of mental illness leading to a greater risk of life-threatening behaviors.”

But contrary what to these authors conclude, Cretella said, there is “no evidence that ‘destigmatizing efforts’ will solve the problem, because there is no evidence that the higher rates are due primarily to stigmatization.”

She pointed out that Sweden is among the most LGBT affirming nations in the world, yet, LGBT mental illness and suicide rates in Sweden are just as dramatically elevated relative to the general population.

“This fact strongly suggests that it is at least as likely, if not more so, that the higher rates are primarily due to LGBQT behavior, or to common underlying psychosocial factors that trigger both LGBQT attractions and accompanying mental disorders,” she continued.

]]>bcnn1wpIncurable Tumor Disappears From Texas Girl’s Brain After Community Lifts Her in Prayershttps://bcnn1wp.wordpress.com/2018/12/19/incurable-tumor-disappears-from-texas-girls-brain-after-community-lifts-her-in-prayers/
Wed, 19 Dec 2018 06:16:59 +0000http://bcnn1wp.wordpress.com/?p=323158Nearly six months after an 11-year-old old Texas girl was diagnosed with an incurable brain tumor called diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, or DIPG, doctors can no longer find a trace of it after her family and friends prayed for a miracle.

“It is very rare, but when we see it, it is a devastating disease. You have decreased ability to swallow, sometimes vision loss, decreased ability to talk, eventually difficulty with breathing,” she said.

The doctor explained that the 11-year-old had gone through weeks of radiation treatment but there was no expectation that the tumor would just disappear. Roxli’s recovery she said is “unbelievable.”

Radiation therapy is currently the primary therapy for newly diagnosed DIPG in children older than 3, according to St. Jude Children’s Research hospital. It uses high-energy X-rays from a specialized machine or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. The treatment, however, does not cure patients.

“When I first saw Roxli’s MRI scan, it was actually unbelievable,” Harrod said. “The tumor is undetectable on the MRI scan, which is really unusual.”

And in case there is any doubt about Roxli’s initial diagnosis, her father said her disease was confirmed by experts at several different hospitals.

“At Dell Children’s, Texas Children’s, at Dana-Farber, at John Hopkins, and MD Anderson, all agreed it was DIPG,” Scott Doss said.

Organizers of a support group on Facebook called Roxli’s Rox Star Benefit for the girl who was diagnosed with the tumor in June explained in July that she loves Jesus “to her core” and their community was heartbroken to learn of her diagnosis.

“We have had the blessing of watching Roxli grow from the time she was in her momma’s belly. Rox is a child so full of joy and with a heart the size of TX. She loves her family fiercely, horses & Jesus to her core. To know her is to absolutely adore her. Roxli has always captivated hearts because her joy is contagious!”

NASHVILLE (BP) — One-month-old Luke Molette was the nativity centerpiece, an African American baby portraying Jesus in the arms of his mother as a white “Joseph” sat at their side, flocked by an interracial chorus.

The 2018 Christmas parade float was the latest collaboration between Nashville First Baptist Church, a majority white congregation led by senior pastor Frank Lewis, and nearby First Baptist Church Capitol Hill, a majority black church led by senior pastor Kelly Miller Smith Jr. The longtime friends point to a shared church history predating the Civil War, when Nashville First established Capitol Hill as a mission congregation.

At a college dinner announcing two scholarships in honor of their leadership in racial unity, the pastors explained the Christmas float’s creation. Molette is Smith’s grandson, born in November to Smith’s daughter Valerie Hayes.

“Frank said, ‘Well why don’t you just use that child [to portray Jesus],'” Smith said. “But I also told Frank … ‘Why don’t we have a white Joseph as well?'” Chuck Satterwhite, recruited to portray Joseph, is a member of Nashville First Baptist, a Southern Baptist congregation marking 200 years in 2020.

The two pastors caught the eye of Williamson College, a small nonprofit, nondenominational Christian school in Franklin, Tenn., after an April 22 pulpit and choir swap. Williamson honored the pastors Dec. 6 at “Uncommon Leadership: One Race. One God” at the University Club of Nashville, describing the two as catalysts for the college’s new curriculum on biblical unity. The school announced two $10,000 biblical unity scholarships, one in each pastor’s name, and honored both men with an “Uncommon Leadership Award.”

Edward Smith, the college’s president, described the pastors as humble leaders avoiding the spotlight.

“If you’ll let us honor you,” Smith said in presenting the idea to the pastors months in advance, “it will help shine the light even further, and it will allow us to use you as models for how each of us can go into our community and try to build greater trust and greater understanding.”

Nashville First Baptist Church pastor Frank Lewis, at left, and First Baptist Church Capitol Hill pastor Kelly Miller Smith Jr. were honored for their racial unity leadership by Williamson College, which established two $10,000 scholarships in their names. Photo by Diana Chandler

The goal is longstanding for Lewis, who grew up in Birmingham, Ala., during the racially charged Civil Rights movement, and Kelly Miller Smith Jr., who grew up at the center of the struggle in Nashville.

The two met in serving on the board of trustees of Belmont University when Kelly Miller Smith pastored Mount Olive Baptist Church (East), a Southern Baptist congregation in Knoxville, Tenn. Today, Smith’s pastorate in Nashville is triply aligned with the Progressive National Baptist Convention, the American Baptist Churches USA and the National Baptist Convention USA, Inc.

Racially aware roots

Lewis realized the inappropriateness of the derogatory “N” word for African Americans when he heard it as a second-grader in the 1960s segregated South, he told Baptist Press.

“I grew up in a culture that was very much opposed to racial reconciliation,” Lewis said. “I heard messages from my family and my church and in every other imaginable context that said I was better than others because of the color of my skin…. However, God was at work in the events of my life.”

Lewis recalls with love and fondness Rose Washington, an African American woman who worked as a maid for his family and cared for him, and a black childhood friend name Andre who integrated the public school Lewis attended.

During Lewis’ high school days in the 1970s, a black man quietly entered a revival service at Lewis’ home church, a small Baptist congregation in a Birmingham suburb. Lewis’ father was deacon chairman.

“He entered after the service began and left during the closing prayer quietly without making a sound,” Lewis recalled. “The next day our phone rang off the wall as other deacons and church leaders called to say that they would be at revival services the next night with a gun if necessary to make sure that he would not be allowed to enter the church again.

A large minority of Americans believe that there is a “War on Christmas” taking place in the United States, with Baby Boomers being the most likely to believe that the Christian holiday is under attack.

According to a recent poll conducted by YouGov, 42 percent of Americans agree with the statement that “No other religion has their religious holidays attacked or persecuted to the same extent Christians do.” By contrast, 28 percent of respondents disagreed with the statement.

“People who are 55 and older are especially likely (50%) to agree with this, while millennials ages 18 to 34 tend to be split: 34% agree, while 30% disagree,” noted YouGov.

When asked outright if there is a “War on Christmas” taking place in the United States, 39 percent of respondents agreed, 33 percent disagreed, and 21 percent neither agreed nor disagreed.

Critics of the “War on Christmas” narrative include the liberal group Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which labeled the concept “bogus.”

“The ironic part of this ‘War on Christmas’ debacle is that so many Religious Right folks swear they’re being victimized by a country where a growing number of people are adopting a secular outlook, while insisting that there’s only one proper way to celebrate Christmas – their way.”

The YouGov poll also found that nearly two-thirds of Americans (64 percent) preferred to say “Merry Christmas” over “Happy Holidays.” This preference for overt religious messages also influenced shopping.

“When it comes to retail experiences, 45% of Americans say they are more likely to purchase from a business if the business’ seasonal branding is overtly Christian (items say ‘Merry Christmas,’ use nativity scenes and crosses as decoration, etc.),” continued YouGov.

A specially appointed federal panel of judges has dismissed all 83 ethics complaints brought against Justice Brett Kavanaugh regarding his conduct at his confirmation hearings.

The judges concluded that while the complaints “are serious,” there is no existing authority that allows lower court judges to investigate or discipline Supreme Court justices.

The complaints against Kavanaugh ranged from allegations that he had misled the Senate about some of his activities in the George W. Bush White House to his angry, partisan statements in denying charges of sexual assault in high school.

At his contentious confirmation hearings, Kavanaugh railed against Democrats, accusing them of engaging in a liberal conspiracy, a sort of payback for his onetime role as a prosecutor investigating President Bill Clinton.

“This whole two-week effort has been a calculated and orchestrated political hit fueled with apparent pent-up anger about President Trump and the 2016 election, fear that has been unfairly stoked about my judicial record, revenge on behalf of the Clintons, and millions of dollars in money from outside left-wing opposition groups,” Kavanaugh thundered. “This is a circus. … And as we all know, in the United States political system of the early 2000s, what goes around comes around.”

After the hearings concluded, Chief Justice John Roberts appointed a special judicial council panel of judges from the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals to look into the ethics complaints against Kavanaugh.

But shortly thereafter, Kavanaugh was confirmed for a lifetime seat on the U.S. Supreme Court. And on Tuesday, Chief Judge Tim Tymkovich, of the 10th Circuit, acknowledged that while the complaints “are serious,” the judicial council panel is obligated to dismiss them, because it has no authority over Kavanaugh.

5 For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?

6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.

7 And he arose, and departed to his house.

8 But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.

——-

Someone once said, “True faith does not contradict its words by its actions.”

In the gospels, the one thing that Jesus complimented people on the most is their faith. He applauded great faith and expressed dismay over a lack of faith. We see in this passage that faith ought to lead to action. When four men broke through a roof to bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus, Jesus saw their faith. They believed that Jesus could heal their friend, and that belief led them to act. In turn, this display of faith, prompted Jesus to act on their behalf.

We do not know if the sick man had any faith of his own. Perhaps, he had given up on believing that he could be healed of his condition. Jesus’ statement to this man indicates that this might very well be the case. He “said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer.” F.F. Bruce writes in his commentary: “With swift sure diagnosis, Jesus sees in the man not faith, but deep depression, associated probably with sad memories of misconduct, and uttering first a kindly hope-inspiring word, such as a physician might address to a patient: cheer up, child! He deals first with the disease of the soul.”

Many, today, are experiencing paralysis — not necessarily paralysis of the body, but paralysis of heart, mind, soul, spirit, and life. Do you feel like your life is going nowhere? Do you feel like you can’t get out of bed in the morning because your vision of life is devoid of faith and hope? As though your feet are stuck in quickly-drying cement? This passage shows us that when we bring not just our problems, but our very selves to Jesus, he has a word of comfort and healing: “Son, daughter, be of good cheer!”

There is no rationale given for this “good cheer” except that one is in the presence of the Son of God. Jesus didn’t heal the man first and then tell him to be of good cheer. He told him to be of good cheer first simply on the basis that he was now in the presence of the Great Physician, the divine Problem Solver, the Heart Healer, the Soul Saver. If we are to be of good cheer, we must get in the habit of bringing our problems to the Lord. And, if you already possess this good cheer, be like the friends of the paralyzed man and help your friends bring their problems to Jesus.

One hymnist wrote:

Rejoice in the Lord! Oh, let His mercy cheer;
He sunders the bands that enthrall;
Redeemed by His blood, why should we ever fear,
Since Jesus is our all in all?

Be strong in the Lord! rejoicing in His might,
Be loyal and true day by day;
When evils assail, be valiant for the right,
And He will be our strength and stay.

Confide in His Word, His promises so sure;
In Christ they are yea and amen;
Though earth pass away, they ever shall endure,
‘Tis written over and over again.

——-

Now, if you are with us today and you do not know Jesus Christ as your Savior, allow me to show you how you can place your faith and trust in Him for Salvation from sin and Hell.

First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”

Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.

Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.

If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the Cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”

If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please email me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.

God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.

Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.

He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.

He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.

The Senate passed a sweeping criminal justice bill Tuesday that addresses concerns that the nation’s war on drugs had led to the imprisonment of too many Americans for non-violent crimes without adequately preparing them for their return to society.

Senate passage of the bill by a vote of 87-12 culminates years of negotiations and gives President Donald Trump a signature policy victory, with the outcome hailed by scores of conservative and liberal advocacy groups. The House is expected to pass the bill this week, sending it to the president’s desk for his signature.

The bill gives judges more discretion when sentencing some drug offenders and boosts prisoner rehabilitation efforts. It also reduces the life sentence for some drug offenders with three convictions, or “three strikes,” to 25 years. Another provision would allow about 2,600 federal prisoners sentenced for crack cocaine offenses before August 2010 the opportunity to petition for a reduced penalty.

“America is the greatest Country in the world and my job is to fight for ALL citizens, even those who have made mistakes,” Trump tweeted moments after the vote.

“This will keep our communities safer, and provide hope and a second chance, to those who earn it. In addition to everything else, billions of dollars will be saved. I look forward to signing this into law!” Trump added.

The vote also thrilled Democrats. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said the nation’s prisons are full of Americans who are struggling with mental illness and addiction, and who are overwhelmingly poor. He said the nation’s criminal justice system “feeds on certain communities and not on others,” and said the bill represents a step toward “healing” for those communities.

“Let’s make no mistake, this legislation, which is one small step, will affect thousands and thousands of lives,” Booker said.

When the bill appeared to have stalled in recent weeks, Sen. Charles Grassley, the Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, pleaded with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to bring it up for a vote. With Trump’s urging, McConnell eventually agreed, and voted for the bill as well.

“The First Step Act takes lessons from history and from states — our laboratories of democracy — to reduce crime, save taxpayer dollars and strengthen faith and fairness in our criminal justice system,” Grassley said.

The Senate turned back three amendments Tuesday from Republican senators Tom Cotton of Arkansas and John Kennedy of Louisiana, who said the bill endangered public safety. Supporters voiced concerns that passing any of the amendments would have sunk the bill.

One amendment would have excluded more prisoners from participating in educational and training programs that allow them to earn credits. Those credits can then be used to gain an earlier release to a halfway house or home confinement to finish out their sentence. Another amendment would have required that victims be notified before a prisoner gets that earlier release. The third would have required the Federal Bureau of Prisons to track and report the re-arrest rate for each prisoner who gets early release.

“While the bill has marginally improved from earlier versions, I’m disappointed my amendments to exclude child molesters from early release and to protect victims’ rights were not adopted,” Cotton said. “I also remain concerned that reducing sentences for drug traffickers and violent felons is a threat to public safety.”

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said the bill already carves out some 60 different crimes that make prisoners ineligible for early release to a halfway house or home confinement. He said Cotton’s amendment was too expansive and would prevent at least 30,000 prisoners from participation.

Durbin said the Federal Bureau of Prisons also gives victims the opportunity to be notified upon a change in the prisoner’s status, but it’s a choice. He said about 10 percent of victims choose not to be notified because of the trauma involved in revisiting the crime. Meanwhile, the amendment from Cotton and Kennedy would make it a requirement.

“Supporting the Cotton amendment is basically saying to these crime victims, ‘We’re going to force this information on you whether it’s in the best interest of your family, whether you want it or not,'” Durbin said. “That is not respectful of crime victims.”

The bill would affect only federal prisoners, who make up less than 10 percent of the country’s prison population.

An array of liberal and conservative advocacy groups rallied in support of the bill. For example, the Koch brothers-backed group, Americans for Prosperity, applauded senators for putting “policy ahead of politics.” The American Civil Liberties Union said the bill was “by no means perfect. But we are in the midst of a mass incarceration crisis, and the time to act is now.”

Law enforcement groups were more split. It was backed by the Fraternal Order of Police and the International Association of Chiefs of Police but opposed by the National Sheriff’s Association. The union representing federal prison guards also joined in supporting the measure.

During Advent, we hear passages of Scripture that are infused with the language of darkness, tribulation, and apocalypse. Matthew, Mark, and Luke each have one fully apocalyptic chapter. In Mark 13, Jesus says, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” (Mark 13:8). The passage only gets darker as it goes. “In those days after that tribulation,” he continues, “‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken’” (Mark 13:24–25).

Why is Jesus talking like this about death and destruction instead of talking about sheep, shepherds, and heavenly hosts?

For a couple of centuries, academic biblical scholars thought that Jesus couldn’t possibly have talked in these terms. The gospels’ apocalyptic chapters were dismissed as inauthentic additions and at best were ignored as “fake news,” if you will. However, in the mid-20th century—around the time that I was in seminary in the early 1970s—a striking shift was taking place in biblical scholarship. Theological and biblical studies began to change because of three key developments.

First, the two World Wars introduced into human history a phenomenon that required a new word, one that describes the deliberate destruction of whole people-groups. The word was “genocide.” It was first applied to the killing of the Armenians and then to the destruction of the Jews during the Holocaust.

The second shift that occurred is linked to the first. These early 20th-century wars and genocides—along with the development of nuclear weapons—made the end of the world seem like a real possibility. These historical events caused writers, historians, and other thinkers to realize that the apocalyptic language of Scripture is not so far-fetched after all. In response, scholars started taking another look at these biblical passages, with more respect this time.

The third shift grew out of the second. Scholars started to pay more attention to the fact that, in the two centuries just before Jesus’ time, the biblical literature began to incorporate a new cosmology. This cosmology spoke of events that were set in motion from a sphere outside of human history but taking place within human history, impinging upon it and upending it from the perspective of the future—not the human future according to human potential but the human future reoriented to the purposes of God.

This idea, although abstract, is easily illustrated by the memoirs of Andrew Carnegie, the famous Scottish-born tycoon who made his fortune in America. Although he was raised as a Presbyterian, as an adult he became suspicious of religion. When he read Darwin’s theory of evolution (during the so-called Gilded Age, before the World Wars), the great philanthropist received what he thought was a revelation. He wrote in his memoir,

I remember that light came as in a flood and all was clear. Not only had I got rid of theology and the supernatural, but I had found the truth. …“All is well since all grows better,” became my motto, my true source of comfort. Man … has risen to the higher forms [and there can be no] conceivable end to [man’s] march to perfection.

I don’t believe anyone can read that with a straight face today. As it happens, those were not the final words from Carnegie. The last paragraph of his autobiography was written as World War I broke out. He revisited what he had written earlier and responded to it by saying something dramatically different:

As I read this [what I had previously written] today, what a change! The world convulsed by war as never before! Men slaying each other like wild beasts! I dare not relinquish all hope.

A week after a prominent pastor in China released his viral letter on faithful disobedience amid a government raid on his church, Communist authorities once again shut down worshipers from Chengdu’s Early Rain Covenant Church—one of the most prominent unregistered churches in the country—as well as Guangzhou’s Rongguili Church, one of its first underground Christian communities.

“Halfway through the children’s Bible class, we heard the footsteps of dozens of police and officials stomping up the stairs,” one member said, according to the South China Morning Post.

“They read out law enforcement notices declaring our venue was an illegal gathering [that had engaged in] illegal publishing and illegal fundraising and confiscated all Bibles.”

The Protestant congregation, which now draws more than 5,000 people to worship each week, was founded in the 1970s by the late pastor Samuel Lamb; it represents one of the few churches in China dating back to before the Cultural Revolution.

Ahead of Christmas, Chinese authorities have continued their ongoing crackdown on underground Protestant churches, which do not belong to the government-sanctioned Three-Self Patriotic Movement and are illegal under Communist rule. The activity has spurred further concern by US officials and American Christians.

The previous Sunday, December 9, officials shut down Early Rain Covenant Church, arresting more than a dozen Christians, including pastor Wang Yi. After he was detained, the church released Yi’s statement explaining and defending his nonviolent resistance to China’s “evil” and “wicked” rulers.

“I firmly believe that Christ has called me to carry out this faithful disobedience through a life of service, under this regime that opposes the gospel and persecutes the church,” he concluded. “This is the means by which I preach the gospel, and it is the mystery of the gospel which I preach.”

Prior to his arrest, he insisted that, in the event of government interference, the church continue to gather. With their church locked and guarded by police, 50 to 60 people gathered for worship outside this week, only to once again be halted and arrested by officials. World magazine reported from China:

A group of about 50 or 60 Early Rain members held a service in a nearby riverside park, singing hymns, praying, and reciting the first question and answer of the Heidelberg Catechism: “What is your only comfort in life and death? That I am not my own but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.”

You may not know Laurie Nichols, but if you were a part of the GC2 Summit, you saw her work. She would not let me have her stand and be recognized, but the summit was her idea, and she made it happen.

You may know that this was not a long-planned event. We announced the summit just two months before over 700 people gathered in Wheaton and thousands watched online. While our whole team pitched in, but it was Laurie who made it happen— our communications director, a suvivor, and part of the ministry team at New Name, working against trafficking.

I’m thankful for her courage, and she is a hero in all this, but she wants to tell you about some other heroes. -Ed

There is much to lament in the church today. While God’s commands remain steadfast and true, we have looked away long enough to have been conformed to the world. This ought to be anathema.

In moments of honesty, we must confess we have become a generation of Christians far from God. We have strayed.

It was a good, hard day. The admonitions of all of our speakers, including Max Lucado, Beth Moore, Christine Caine, York Moore, Laurel Bunker, Lindsay Olesberg, Kelly Rosati, Nancy Beach, Eugene Cho, and others were a powerful reminder of how far we slipped and how far we have to go. You can read a good recap of the day here.

But, really, what breaks me is this: all of the speakers weaved in this truism—God hears and heals. He HEARS the cries of all, and wants to HEAL the pain of all. No amount of work on our end, without the power of the Holy Spirit, is sufficient for the healing that must take place. As a survivor myself, I have discovered this to be so very true in my own journey to healing as well.

Every survivor who spoke did so with the proverbial finger pointed upwards. It is God divinely working through his word, his people, and his Spirit to straighten what is out of joint, to care for the flickering wick.

But how is that reflected in us, his people?

Let me share just a few thoughts as I reflect on the summit, and they revolve around one word and one concept: heroes—those with great courage that compel us to do more and do better.

First, the true heroes are all those who bear the scars of pain and break their silence.

I am immensely grateful to both Max Lucado and Kelli Rosati for breaking their silence yesterday. And I am convicted that for every Max there are 10 more stories of heartbreak and for every Kelli there are 20 more stories of silence. Those who have endured violence at the hands of others—whether verbal, physical, or psychological—hold a special place in God’s heart. The reminder in Matthew 20 that “the last shall be first and the first last” bears heavily on me today.

It takes tremendous courage to keep pressing forward when you have been beaten down. I am amazed by you.

To all those who have been hurt at the hands of others and yet keep moving forward, we honor you. To God and to us, you are a hero.

Many pastors feel nervous as the third Sunday in Advent, “Mary Sunday,” rolls around. What congregant will turn out to be suspicious of any unusual respect shown for her? What visiting Catholic will be mystified or put off by a cautious and understated Protestant treatment? Should a preacher reckon the service a success if both extremes come away disappointed? How can it be that Jesus’ own mother has become the church’s most polarizing figure? And more importantly, what can we do about that?

Mother of all stereotypes

Let’s begin with a sketch of two Marys.

“Mary A”

This is the Mary of modest Protestant tradition, a humble, nondescript young virgin from the tribe of Judah. One day she got an extraordinary visit from an angel who told her that she would bear the Son of God. This wouldn’t happen in the usual natural way but by the sheer creating work of the Holy Spirit. She put her trust in the angel’s good news. She became a faithful wife and mother who protected and raised her son in sometimes extreme circumstances. At times Jesus surprised and even shocked her. Occasionally their relationship even seemed strained. But she stayed with him, all the way to the cross. She was among his faithful disciples in the Book of Acts. We don’t hear nearly as much about her as the apostles, let alone her Son. Nevertheless, she is still a beloved character in his story, especially during the Christmas season when we remember his birth.

Mary A is sparsely and cautiously sketched out, with very little speculation. She is basically what’s in the Bible about Mary. Indeed, Mary A’s fans speculate less about her than other biblical figures. They don’t mind conjecturing about Moses, David, Peter, Thomas, or Paul, but they seem unusually reserved when it comes to her.

“Mary Z”

By contrast, this is the larger-than-life Mary of most Catholic and Eastern Orthodox tradition. She was a holy child of devout parents, one of Israel’s royal line and the other of its priestly line. She exemplified faithful Judaism at its very best. She was even brought up in the Jerusalem Temple. And she was uniquely filled with grace to be the worthy vessel through whom God himself became one of us. She was ever and always a virgin, exclusively dedicated to her son’s mission. She was assumed body and soul into heaven, where she now intercedes for us and reigns under her Lord and son as the Queen of Heaven. She was and is a major player in Christ’s church.

Some of Mary Z is extravagant and legendary. Much of her story comes from outside the Bible. Her fans seem more ready to fill in details from her childhood or later life than other biblical figures. When you look at a Renaissance painting of the Annunciation or the Nativity, you are likely seeing details from the Protevangelium of James, a second-century apocryphal text. Many Christians just assume these details about Mary’s life are in the Bible somewhere.

Mary Z looms large in her fans’ imaginations, maybe too large. By contrast, Mary A is far less prominent, but maybe too much less. Given how different these two Marys seem to be, it’s easy to forget how much the two overlap. There’s some of Mary Z in Mary A, and a lot of Mary A is also in Mary Z.

Mary, quite contrary?

Our imaginations turn each Mary into something of a stereotype, and that exaggerates their differences. Mary A’s fans chafe at the line “Hail Mary, full of grace” in Roman Catholic worship. Yet in Luke 1 the angel did greet her that way. And Elizabeth did prophesy to Mary, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb” (Luke 1:28 and 1:42). Of all the women Luke highlights, she gets the highest light. The title “Blessed Virgin Mary” is biblical.

Mary Z is also more like Mary A than some of her fans realize. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus’ mother and brothers were so taken aback by his preaching ministry that they thought he was “out of his mind,” and they came to bring him home (Mark 3:21–32). It was then that Jesus said his family was whoever did the will of God (Mark 3:33–35). Faith is what makes us family, not bloodline or even glory. So Mary had some growing to do.

Speaking of faith, Mary A is an example of it. For centuries people had trusted God’s promises, but Mary was the first person to hear and believe in the good news of Jesus. We might call her the first Christian. Gabriel’s news ended whatever ordinary life she had imagined for herself and put her on a totally different and unpredictable course. And she embraced it. “I’m the Lord’s servant,” she said. “Let it be to me according to your Word” (Luke 1:38). She was ready to hand over all her dreams and fears about her future, take up an impossible and unimaginable calling, and cope with its lifetime of challenges. Jesus’ neighbors, by and large, didn’t accept him. The large crowds early on dwindled as Jesus disappointed their expectations. But Mary was still there with him at the cross, and she was right there in Acts 1, praying with the others to become the witnesses he told them to be. Mary A is a mentor, up ahead of us urging us along.

Over a year after announcing that she would be pursuing a divorce with her husband, Proverbs 31 Ministries President Lysa TerKeurst renewed her vows this holiday season to her husband of over 25 years.

“On an unusually sunny Tuesday in December, we dressed up a bit and whispered healing words, heartfelt promises, and holy vows,” TerKeurst wrote on Instagram last week with a photo of herself and her husband, Art, during the ceremony. “A million prayers. A miracle answer. A marriage restored.”

It was in June 2017 when the popular author and international speaker dropped a bombshell on her supporters and announced that she would be separating from her husband and pursuing a divorce due to his ongoing infidelity and substance abuse.

TerKeurst explained that when she first found out about Art’s affair with a woman he met online, she had decided not to divorce him. But even after fighting the “hardest battle” of her life to save her marriage for the last couple of years, “he has continued to abuse substances, be unfaithful, and refused to be truthful to me and our family.”

“After much prayer and consultation with wise, biblically-minded people, I have decided that Art has abandoned our marriage,” she said, utterly heartbroken.

Shortly after the shocking news, she announced that she was also diagnosed with breast cancer and would need to undergo a double mastectomy.

TerKeurst recently released a book, titled It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way: Finding Unexpected Strength When Disappointments Leave You Shattered, about her devastating journey. In it, she wanted to be transparent with all those who look to her for guidance by sharing the hard moments of her family’s story and how the Lord has guided her through it all.

Penny Marshall, who starred alongside Cindy Williams in the hit ABC comedy “Laverne & Shirley” and then became a successful director, died on Monday night at her Hollywood Hills home due to complications from diabetes, Variety has confirmed. She was 75.

Marshall was the first woman to direct a film that grossed more than $100 million, the first woman to direct two films that made more than $100 million, and she was only the second woman director to see her film Oscar-nominated for best picture.

“Laverne & Shirley” ran from 1976-1983 and proved an enormous success for ABC. It was the No. 3 show on television in 1975-76, No. 2 in 1976-77, and No. 1 in 1977-78 and 1978-79, spawning ancillary revenue in the form of merchandising, a record album, and an animated series based on the show.

Marshall began her directing career by helming several episodes of “Laverne & Shirley.” With little experience, she replaced Howard Zieff as director on her feature directorial debut, the Whoopi Goldberg vehicle “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” which grossed a respectable $30 million in 1986. Far more successful, however, was Marshall’s second outing, the 1988 sentimental comedy “Big,” which sported a subtle, delightful, Oscar-nominated performance from Tom Hanks — and hauled $151 million worldwide, reportedly becoming the first film directed by a woman to cross $100 million.

Her third film, the critically acclaimed “Awakenings,” starring Robin Williams and Robert De Niro, and based on the Oliver Sacks book, reeled in $52 million and drew three Oscar nominations — including best picture and best actor for De Niro. The movie was only the second directed by a woman that was nominated for best picture (Randa Haines’ “Children of a Lesser God” was the first, in 1986). Roger Ebert said, “Because this movie is not a tearjerker, but an intelligent examination of a bizarre human condition, it’s up to De Niro to make Leonard not an object of sympathy, but a person who helps us wonder about our own tenuous grasp on the world around us.”

“A League of Their Own,” set in the world of women’s baseball during World War II, and starring Hanks, Geena Davis, Madonna, and Rosie O’Donnell, made $132 million worldwide, including about $25 million overseas. The movie was selected in 2012 for inclusion in the National Film Registry, and it spawned a short-lived television adaptation.

Marshall’s run of extraordinary success ended with her next film, the critically derided “Renaissance Man,” which starred Danny DeVito as a reluctant instructor in the U.S. Army. The New York Times’ Janet Maslin began her review by declaring, “If you’re looking for a learning experience, ‘Renaissance Man’ is ready to teach you what the words simile, metaphor, oxymoron, and formula mean.”

She returned with some gusto with “The Preacher’s Wife,” starring Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston in a remake of a 1940s Christmas classic. The Times’ Stephen Holden was happy to declare, “The movie is a shrewdly conceived update of the 1947 comic heart-warmer ‘The Bishop’s Wife.’” After enumerating a few misgivings, he finished by saying, “All these loose ends don’t keep ‘The Preacher’s Wife’ from producing a mild feel-good glow.” The film made $48 million.

After five years, Marshall returned with her final film, 2001’s “Riding in Cars With Boys,” starring Drew Barrymore, which drew so-so reviews and about $35 million worldwide. Peter Rainer in New York magazine said, “Beverly is supposed to be a bad girl running with the wrong crowd, but most of the time she seems to be right out of a serioso episode of ‘Laverne & Shirley.’”

More recently she had directed two episodes of the ABC sitcom “According to Jim” in 2009; the 2010 TV movie “Women Without Men,” in which she also starred along with Lorraine Bracco, Dyan Cannon, and Roseanne Barr; and two episodes of Showtime’s “United States of Tara” in 2010 and 2011.

Marshall also produced a number of films, including many of her directing projects as well as Ron Howard’s “Cinderella Man,” starring Russell Crowe, and Nora Ephron’s feature adaptation of “Bewitched,” both in 2005.

But it all started, really, with “Laverne & Shirley.”

The show, which premiered in January 1976, scored in the ratings immediately. Within months of the series’ debut, Marshall and Williams were asked to record an album, “Laverne & Shirley Sing.” They sang one song from the album, a cover of the Crystals’ hit “Da Doo Ron Ron,” on a float during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade that November.

An animated series, “Laverne & Shirley in the Army,” ran in ABC’s Saturday morning lineup in 1981, with Marshall and Williams voicing the characters. After 13 episodes, an animated Fonzie (voiced by Henry Winkler) and his dog were added, and the product was wedded to the animated version of “Mork & Mindy” to create “The Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour.”

The show inspired a line of tie-in merchandise, including Laverne, Shirley, Lenny, and Squiggy dolls, a board game, puzzles, and a great deal more.

Marshall and Williams also made crossover appearances — back on “Happy Days,” where they’d started; on the 1978 pilot of “Mork & Mindy” together with Winkler’s Fonzie; and on the brief Garry Marshall-created show “Blansky’s Beauties” in 1977.

Meanwhile, “Laverne & Shirley” itself evolved. The first five seasons were set in Milwaukee, with the two leads employed in a brewery; the sixth season relocated the characters to Burbank, Calif.; and then, in the eighth and final season, Williams and her husband feuded with Paramount, the producers, and Marshall when Williams became pregnant, resulting in her abrupt departure from the show, although no one agrees exactly who was to blame. Marshall and Williams did not speak to each other for several years, but eventually reconciled.

Carole Penny Marshall was born in the Bronx. Her mother taught tap dancing, while her father directed industrial films. She attended the University of New Mexico for two and a half years. While there, Marshall got pregnant at 19, and soon thereafter married the father, a football player.

Marshall made her screen debut in 1968 with small roles in Richard Rush’s “The Savage Seven” and Jerry Paris’ “How Sweet It Is!,” on which her brother Garry was a writer. She also had small roles in Paris’ 1970 film “The Grasshopper,” but she found much more work on television, guesting on series including “That Girl,” “Love, American Style,” and “The Bob Newhart Show.”